FridayFind: Quick Sticks

Okay, so it’s 3am, you’re sweaty, disoriented, and limp as a wash-rag. You’re low. So, you grab the bottle of nasty chalky tablets and a bottle of water that sits beside your bed and hope that you don’t choke on the tablets. You muster up the energy to chew the nasty little things and follow them down with a gulp of water.

Doesn’t sound too good, right?

What if I told you about a handy little glucose stick that’s sort of like those awesome pixi-stix from your childhood?

I received a package a week or so ago that had two Quick Sticks inside – one in each flavor (watermelon and sour apple). My first thoughts were that the packaging is all cute, but what about this claim that they are “water-free”, meaning you don’t have to mix them into water and you shouldn’t need to drink water with them and you can just pour the powdery substance in to your mouth and go. I worried about this… a lot. I mean, with the old pixi-stix, I would choke on each one I ever tried to eat because they were powdery and dusty. So I waited on a low to be able to test them out. Wednesday, with water in-hand (well, close enough…) and a rapidly falling blood sugar, I ripped open the Sour Apple flavored Quick Sticks package and went for it. Amazingly, I didn’t need the water. I don’t know how they did it, but this powdered glucose actually seems to melt – sort of like snowflakes, but not as cold, in your mouth. I was sold on the water-less aspect of it.

My next concern was that they only contain 10g of glucose each. Most fast-acting pre-packaged low treatments come in 15g containers (to adhere to the 15/15 rule maybe?). I was worried that it wouldn’t be enough and I wouldn’t come up quick enough. To my surprise, my glucose levels started to level off within about 5-10 minutes. “Just a coincidence”, I thought. Early yesterday morning, though, I got my chance to try it again. Around 4am, I woke up to the sound of my CGM alarming. I didn’t want to get up, but I knew I had to do something. I ran through a mental list of options – juice, cookies, soda, etc – that I could treat with, and then I remembered…. I had the other Quick Sticks package in my meter wallet. So, I grabbed it, ate it, and waited. Within no time, my sugar was on it’s way up from the 40-something to above 70 and on the rise. I woke up with a reading of 174 the next morning.

I’m sold. These things are awesome!!! (I said that already, didn’t I?) I have ordered two boxes – one of each flavor. They are very portable, super tasty and easy to eat when low.

Want to know more about them for yourself? You can visit http://www.quicksticks.com/, follow them on Twitter and Facebook, or watch them on YouTube. There are a few places they are available now, but I received an email yesterday that said they will be in Wal-Mart and Walgreens locations nationwide this fall!

Don’t want to wait until they are available in your area? Well, the awesome folks at Quick Sticks have allowed me to give you a promo code ( SUGABETIC ) for 30% off that’s good for the first 50 orders that use it. Also, make sure you use ALL CAPS. And, if you’re one of the first 20, you will get an extra goodie from them as well. How awesome!?!?

{Disclosure: Quick Sticks did not ask me to write a post in exchange for their product. I did so completely on my own. My views and opinions expressed here are my 100% my own, and not influenced by the Quick Sticks company. If you have any questions, you can always contact me.}

And I just depleted my local Wal-Mart’s supply of ReliOn glucose tabs last night! (I’ve been using a lot lately). I honestly don’t need water with them; maybe they’re different than the Dex4 brand (which they also sell for about a dollar more).

But I have to ask: did you have any concerns about a powdery mess? With Pixie Stix, I know half of the powder ends up on my hands and face, and the other half in the bed or on the floor. Its one reason I don’t use them to treat lows.

I love these things and they pack in so many places without an mess or worry about getting wet. When I ride my bike I can easily slip two on each side under my cycling shorts and I never feel them there. You are right about them not having the chalky taste or mess, they go down fast and easy. Watermellon is my flavor and was dissapointed that my local Krogers stopped carying them. Now I have to order more online and make a trip to another Krogers to stock up for now. Can’t wait for Walmart to cary them.

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Hi! I’m Sarah!

Hi! I'm a type 1 diabetes "hobby" blogger on my site, www.sugabetic.me. I love sharing my story of living with type 1 as well as other things like hypothyroidism and my journey through the normal things of life like being a wife, mom, and anything else.

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If there's something diabetes-related you'd like to ask me about, click here to contact me! *Note: I'm not a medical professional, so anything shared with you would be from my personal experience. Thanks!*